Japan Golf Tour
The Japan Golf Tour is a prominent golf tour. It was founded in 1973 and as of 2006 it offers the third-highest annual prize fund out of the regular (that is not for seniors) men's professional tours after the PGA Tour and the European Tour. However, since the early 1990s, the growth in prize money has not kept pace with that on the two larger tours. Official events on the Japan Golf Tour count for World Golf Ranking points, and success on the tour can also qualify members to play in the majors.
Current season, competition or edition: 2022 Japan Golf Tour | |
| Sport | Golf |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1973 |
| Director | Isao Aoki |
| Country |  Japan |
| Most titles | Money list titles: 12 – Masashi Ozaki Tournament wins: 94 – Masashi Ozaki |
| Related competitions | Japan Challenge Tour |
| Official website | JGTO.org |
Most of the leading players on the tour are Japanese, but players from many other countries also participate. The tour is currently run by the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), which was established in 1999 to separate the tour from the PGA of Japan.[1] The JGTO also organises a developmental tour called the Japan Challenge Tour.
Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki has been the dominant player on tour, leading the career wins list with 94, the career money list with over ¥2 billion, and winning the money title twelve times between 1973 and 1998.
Entry to The Open Championship is given to Order of Merit winner and runner-up, Japan Open Golf Championship winner, two players not already exempt from the money list up to the Japan Golf Tour Championship, and the top four non-exempt players from the Mizuno Open.
Money list winners
The official prize money list on the Japan Golf Tour includes money won by members in the majors and the World Golf Championships events.
| Year | Player | Prize money (¥) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 |  Chan Kim | 127,599,803 |
| 2019 | Shugo Imahira (2/2) | 168,049,312 |
| 2018 | Shugo Imahira (1/2) | 139,119,332 |
| 2017 | Yūsaku Miyazato | 182,831,982 |
| 2016 | Yuta Ikeda | 207,901,567 |
| 2015 |  Kim Kyung-tae (2/2) | 165,981,625 |
| 2014 | Koumei Oda | 137,318,693 |
| 2013 | Hideki Matsuyama | 201,076,781 |
| 2012 | Hiroyuki Fujita | 175,159,972 |
| 2011 | Bae Sang-moon | 151,078,958 |
| 2010 | Kim Kyung-tae (1/2) | 181,103,799 |
| 2009 | Ryo Ishikawa | 183,524,051 |
| 2008 | Shingo Katayama (5/5) | 180,094,895 |
| 2007 | Toru Taniguchi (2/2) | 171,744,498 |
| 2006 | Shingo Katayama (4/5) | 178,402,190 |
| 2005 | Shingo Katayama (3/5) | 134,075,280 |
| 2004 | Shingo Katayama (2/5) | 119,512,374 |
| 2003 | Toshimitsu Izawa (2/2) | 135,454,300 |
| 2002 | Toru Taniguchi (1/2) | 145,440,341 |
| 2001 | Toshimitsu Izawa (1/2) | 217,934,583 |
| 2000 | Shingo Katayama (1/5) | 177,116,489 |
| 1999 | Naomichi Ozaki (2/2) | 137,641,796 |
| 1998 | Masashi Ozaki (12/12) | 179,627,400 |
| 1997 | Masashi Ozaki (11/12) | 170,847,633 |
| 1996 | Masashi Ozaki (10/12) | 209,646,746 |
| 1995 | Masashi Ozaki (9/12) | 192,319,800 |
| 1994 | Masashi Ozaki (8/12) | 215,468,000 |
| 1993 | Hajime Meshiai | 148,718,200 |
| 1992 | Masashi Ozaki (7/12) | 186,816,466 |
| 1991 | Naomichi Ozaki (1/2) | 119,507,974 |
| 1990 | Masashi Ozaki (6/12) | 129,060,500 |
| 1989 | Masashi Ozaki (5/12) | 108,715,733 |
| 1988 | Masashi Ozaki (4/12) | 125,162,540 |
| 1987 | David Ishii | 86,554,421 |
| 1986 | Tsuneyuki Nakajima (4/4) | 90,202,066 |
| 1985 | Tsuneyuki Nakajima (3/4) | 101,609,333 |
| 1984 | Shinsaku Maeda | 57,040,357 |
| 1983 | Tsuneyuki Nakajima (2/4) | 85,514,183 |
| 1982 | Tsuneyuki Nakajima (1/4) | 68,220,640 |
| 1981 | Isao Aoki (5/5) | 57,262,941 |
| 1980 | Isao Aoki (4/5) | 60,532,660 |
| 1979 | Isao Aoki (3/5) | 45,554,211 |
| 1978 | Isao Aoki (2/5) | 62,987,200 |
| 1977 | Masashi Ozaki (3/12) | 35,932,608 |
| 1976 | Isao Aoki (1/5) | 40,985,801 |
| 1975 | Takashi Murakami | 38,705,551 |
| 1974 | Masashi Ozaki (2/12) | 41,846,908 |
| 1973 | Masashi Ozaki (1/12) | 43,814,000 |
Multiple money list titles
The following players have won more than one money list title through 2021:
| Titles | Player |
|---|---|
| 12 | Masashi Ozaki |
| 5 | Isao Aoki |
| Shingo Katayama | |
| 4 | Tsuneyuki Nakajima |
| 2 | Toshimitsu Izawa |
| Naomichi Ozaki | |
| Toru Taniguchi | |
| Kim Kyung-tae | |
| Shugo Imahira |
Career money leaders
The table shows the top ten career money leaders on the Japan Golf Tour through the 2021 season. The figures shown include money won in the four global major championships from 1998 onwards and in the individual World Golf Championships from 1999 to 2009.
| Position | Player | Prize money (¥) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Masashi Ozaki | 2,688,836,653 |
| 2 | Shingo Katayama | 2,252,278,502 |
| 3 | Tsuneyuki Nakajima | 1,664,953,541 |
| 4 | Toru Taniguchi | 1,662,207,219 |
| 5 | Naomichi Ozaki | 1,545,609,713 |
| 6 | Hiroyuki Fujita | 1,533,257,797 |
| 7 | Yuta Ikeda | 1,269,641,069 |
| 8 | Hideto Tanihara | 1,192,142,233 |
| 9 | Katsumasa Miyamoto | 1,166,981,591 |
| 10 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Brendan Jones | 1,094,192,410 |
There is a full list on the Japan Golf Tour's website here.
Records
- Youngest winner: Ryo Ishikawa (amateur) 15 years, 238 days (Munsingwear Open KSB Cup, 2007)
Notes and references
- "Japan golf touring pros on own". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. 27 January 1999 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- Official website (in English)